Boeing's 787 high in the sky (photos)

On December 15, 2009, Boeing's 787 Dreamliner took its first flight, achieving a major milestone in the plane's eventual commercial deployment. Now, as it moves towards that goal, the 787 has been put through a series of new tests, most recently its stall test, in which the pilots take it high in the sky and intentionally cut power to its engines to ensure that they can recover in flight.

Here, one of the first 787s is seen flying high over the snow-capped mountains of the Pacific Northwest.

Though hundreds of reporters and thousands of Boeing employees were on hand for the first flight, an extremely small number of people have seen the plane at altitude. These images, from Boeing, show the plane soaring through the sky.

Initially, Boeing is conducting its flight tests with two separate 787s. One is painted with a basic Boeing 787 insignia, while this one is painted with the insignia of Air Nippon Airways, which will be among the first carriers to fly the plane.

Boeing's first 787 Dreamliner soars above the clouds.

Boeing's first 787 Dreamliner flies over the populated Pacific Northwest.

The cockpit of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

A view of a mock-up of the interior door of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Boeing's 787 Dreamliner takes off for its first-ever flight, from Paine Field, in Everett, Wash., on December 15, 2009.